


Before the Drop

by Adrestia_Hektorsdottir



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:32:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29947962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adrestia_Hektorsdottir/pseuds/Adrestia_Hektorsdottir
Kudos: 1





	Before the Drop

_ September 7th, 2551, in orbit of New Lund, aboard the Marathon-class cruiser Rorke's Drift. _

_ Operation: GROUND AND POUND has begun. The 1st Shock Troops Battalion of the 105th “Helljumpers” Division has been deployed to New Lund to counter the Covenant invasion.  _

Gunnery Sergeant Miles Murray-Haney nervously paced back and forth along Hell’s Waiting Room, amidships of the Marathon-class Rorke’s Drift. Chewing on his cigar, the Gunny was wading deep in the murky waters of contemplation. A brief look at his timepiece told him was only T Minus ten ‘til the drop. His crack team of Troopers was already gathering for the mission, but Miles wanted to double-check his men and their equipment. The closest of them was Lance Corporal Roger Hui, leaning against a JW Cabinet. 

“How’s it going, Roge?” Miles extended a suited-up fist towards the LCPL, who bumped it with his own clenched fist. Roge’s heavy, oil-black M247 SAW laid on the floor beside him, as was expected of the unit’s DAR. Its barrel shroud was marked by five rows of scratches, one for each Elite kill. “Looking forward to killing some Covvies?”

“You bet, Gunny.” Roge’s fallow, otherwise stoic face shifted to a wicked grin. He had lost his family on Harvest. “I’ll make them pay every ounce of what they owe me.” The big man lifted his SAW to his shoulder and proceeded to make his way towards the Drop Pods. “See you on the ground, Gunny. Try to keep up.” 

Gunny doubled-timed it along the bulkhead, towards the rest of the fireteam. They were retrieving MA2Bs from JW cabinets as he came up to him, loading them with the magazines they had already retrieved. “Good to see ya, Gunny.” Lance Corporal Neil Nkomo’s pearly whites flashed wide as he shouldered the assault rifle. Nkomo was the personable one of the two. “Alice over here,” He pointed to his compatriot, a stern young blonde with a scar across her nose. “She and I were just going to look for you.”

“You certainly have a way of showing up when you’re needed, Gunny.” Corporal Alice Powers cut quite a dashing figure in her up-armored ODST/UA PPE BDU. She grunted, skeptically. Her pale, rough features were caught in a frown. Carrying a “Jackhammer” launcher in addition to her MA2B, she ran towards the pods. “Let’s hope that trend keeps up.” 

“Ice queen. As usual.” Murray-Haney noted of Corporal Powers, once he was sure she was out of earshot. “Neil, you better join her. Drop’s in five minutes.” 

“Alright, Gunny. See you on the ground.” Nkomo did as he was told, donning his helmet and turning to leave. That left Miles alone, on the rubberized floor of Hell’s Waiting Room. Snuffing out his cigar, he closed his eyes. This war of his had lasted for twenty-six years, and it seemed like there was no end in sight. He had seen comrades come and go, fall and perish. Yet it all seemed to be frozen in time, one continuous struggle.

New Lund might fall. It might not. But from his perspective, he wasn’t sure if it made a difference.


End file.
